Lead single and video from SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE (2008) featuring Tim McGraw…..
‘Nine Lives’
Def Leppard - Songs From The Sparkle Lounge (2008, Island)
Band Lineup:
Joe Elliot - Lead Vocals
Rick Savage - Bass, Backing Vocals, & additional guitars
Phil Collen - Guitars & Backing Vocals
Vivian Campbell - Guitars & Backing Vocals
Rick Allen - Drums & Backing Vocals
Special Guest:
Tim McGraw - Vocals on ‘Nine Lives’
Produced by: Def Leppard & Roann McHugh
Total Time = 39:23
Def Leppard official website
Def Leppard MySpace page
So Def Leppard is back with a brand new studio album fresh off their surprisingly successful covers record YEAH!. It’s been a long time since the boys from Sheffield did a proper studio record, the last one was 2002’s X. X was an top flight album that mixed the best of the ’80s with the Leps more modern Pop tendencies. So what would a new record six years later bring? You can never be sure because the band downplays their Hard Rock roots all the time and they have recently become overly enamored with their influences from the late ’60s/early ’70s.
Opening the album is ‘Go’, a song that has a guitar intro with a very familiar tone. Listen to ‘Women’ off HYSTERIA (1987), that guitar intro has the same tone as the one starting ‘Go’. The intro is one of the main underlying riffs through the entire song. It’s a good enough song to open, sort of a mid-paced moody track. Lead single ‘Nine Lives’, with special guest Tim McGraw on co-lead vocals, is a decent pop rocker…..if fans want the old school Def Leppard then this song is as close as they’ll get. There’s a good hook to the chorus, big vocals, solos…..everything that you can imagine. Listen for the quick recycled guitar part from ‘Armageddon It’ off HYSTERIA.
‘C’mon C’mon’ is very boring even though it’s uptempo. I’ll be honest, I hate the song! The lyrics are too easy and too rhymey and the chorus is just “C’mon, C’mon” repeated over and over. The song sounds like a ’70s Gary Glitter leftover! All is made up for with ‘Love’, a very pretty acoustic based ballad that comes right out of the Freddie Mercury/Queen playbook. Just like the Scorpions, Def Leppard does great ballads, and ‘Love’ shines with excellent vocals and lush backings. The orchestrated backing vocals are trademark Queen and I’d like to know if that is actually Brian May on the guitar solo because, if it isn’t, Viv Campbell or Phil Collen do a superb mimic. ‘Tomorrow’ has a very groovy bass line that really moves the song while the band channels a combination of sounds from their last album, X, and 1999’s EUPHORIA for this mid-paced song.
‘Cruise Control’ is another mid-paced affair that is, well, on cruise control. Aside from some cool solos, I’m not really digging it. ‘Hallucinate’ bounces back by rocking harder with the trademark backing vocals and duelling guitars, nice to finally hear Viv Campbell let loose a little! Usually Phil Collen takes all the leads but the song calls for the guitarists to trade off. ‘Hallucinate’ has that ’80s feel to it but it would be better fit on EUPHORIA or X because Joe’s voice isn’t as high pitched as it once was. Def Leppard has a solid niche carved in the mid-paced songs with big choruses and ‘Only The Good Die Young’ (the 2nd of three Viv Campbell compositions) fills the void. Again, the band does these type of songs well: solid guitars with nice fills and solos, Joe is in fine mid-register voice, and the gang backing traxks flesh it out. High on melody and hooks.
The pace picks up again with the fast rocker ‘Bad Actress’. The Leps always say that they would rather be considered a Pop Rock band than a Hard Rock band but, when they want to cut loose they do it well. The solos here are some of the fastest I’ve heard the boys play in almost 10 years! Hitting the mid-pace hard again, ‘Come Undone’ follows the Lep formula to a tee. The guitars sound heavy and the backing vocals help Joe Elliot out quite a bit. There’s a hook in there that has me liking the song but we’ve already heard it before becasue the album is chock full of this kind of song. Still, the song has that special Lep quality that draws you in. Same with ‘Gotta Let It Go’, there’s a certain Lep-ness to it that draws you in and you enjoy the song. I like the little falsetto action Mr. Elliot drops in just before the chorus and the guitars really drive the song home.
Bottom Line:
Def Leppard stopped being a Hard Rock band after PYROMANIA. If you can deal with that, then you will like this record. The guys have always said everything they could to keep Def Leppard from being cornered into that genre and they back up their talk by updating their sound. If you take the last three Def Lep albums (EUPHORIA, X, and YEAH!) and combine them, that’s the sound you get on SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE. You get the big ’80s (EUPHORIA), the ’70’s influences (YEAH!), and the modern touches (X). Each song has melodies, hooks, solid guitar, great solos, big backing vocals, and competent lead vocals. It’s obvious Joe Elliot has lost some of that high register with age but he can still sing and does so very well on every song…..I’d prefer to hear him do ‘Nine Lives’ on his own. Aside from the one repetitive mess of a song in ‘C’mon C’mon’, I liked every song on the album. When my year end picks come out in December, don’t be surprised if this is record is up there, I really enjoy it!
Favorite songs: ‘Nine Lives’, ‘Love’, ‘Hallucinate’, ‘Only The Good Die Young’, ‘Bad Actress’
Testament - The Formation Of Damnation (2008, Nuclear Blast)
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Band Lineup:
Chuck Billy - Vocals
Eric Peterson - Guitars
Alex Skolnick - Guitars
Greg Christian - Bass
Paul Bostaph - Drums
Total Time = 49:40
Testament official website
Testament MySpace page
Nuclear Blast USA
It’s been nine long years since San Francisco Thrash legends Testament released THE GATHERING (1999) but the band has remained in the public’s eye: vocalist Chuck Billy fought and won his battle with cancer, Eric Peterson formed Dragonlord, Alex Skolnick kept his solo career alive, and Greg Christian played with Havochate for one album. Testament released FIRST STRIKE, STILL DEADLY in 2001, an album of re-recorded songs from the first two Testament albums, and LIVE IN LONDON in 2005 as a document of the band getting back together after so many years and a reunion with the original lineup. Still, even though they were still active, fans all over wanted a new record.
Testament does what Testament does: they play old school Thrash with high energy and pure musicianship. Chuck can growl with the best of them and sing aggressively clean and the guitar attack of Skolnick & Peterson has to be one of the best put to record this year. These two guitarists shred and solo all over this album that would make some other (former) Thrash guitarists (Hetfield & Hammett) quake in fear. I think the Jazz/Fusion music that Skolnick creates with his Alex Skolnick Trio keeps him fresh for creating heavy Thrash riffs. Of course there’s also the tight and driving rhythm section that includes the thumping bass provided by Christian and the precision rapid fire double bass attack of Paul Bostaph (Slayer) on the kit. Put all these elements together and you get a monster machine battering your ears!
‘For The Glory Of…’ opens up as a quick heavy insturmental and leads right into ‘More Than Meets The Eye’. If there were any doubts that this new offering from Testament would be in the same line as their mid to late ’90s records then they should be erased. Chuck growling, the guitars riffing and soloing, and the backline galloping with precision. This is what I want to hear! Right away the band throws the gauntlet down and challenges all the current bands out there. ‘The Evil Has Landed’ (inspired by the unfortunate events of 9/11) continues the battering and adds some melody while the title track speeds things up and Chuck goes for the old school Death/Thrash growl.
‘Dangers Of The Faithless’ slows the pace down a bit but maintains it’s heaviness until the Metallica-esque chorus while the opening of ‘The Persecuted Won’t Forget’ signals another old school speed machine that has some very interesting drumming and guitar lines, maybe Akolnick’s Jazz/Fusion influences showing underneath a little? This song is in the same direction of later Testament on albums like DEMONIC (1997) & THE GATHERING (1999) but in the context of this album it works better. My favorite so far is ‘Henchman Ride’…..you’ve got to hear Bostaph’s kit smash around those licks to believe it. Great fast driving song with a big chorus and then a frenetic mid-section with some absolutely amazing solos!
There’s a late ’90s groove to ‘Killing Season’ that I can’t put my finger on but it sounds like I’ve heard it before, the twin leads are solid though. ‘Afterlife’ would be a European Power Metal song with less aggressive vocals. I could hear the Hammerfalls and Primal Fears of the world doing this song with the higher soaring vocals over the top of the blistering riffs that are present. ‘F.E.A.R.’ is a speed showcase until it slows for the chorus, the drumming is insane making you wonder how many arms Bostaph actually has. The last song, ‘Leave Me Forever’, pounds (literally) the music home and Chuck uses that growl to perfection.
Bottom Line:
Not only is THE FORMATION OF DAMNATION the album that Testament fans have been waiting for, it’s the album that sets the standard for Thrash bands this year. The last few Testament albums were considered too modern but this new record blends both the newer Thrash elements with the old school ’80s glory years. Seriously, if Metallica released this album, we would calling it a return to form…..so Testament has thrown down the gauntlet and set the standard high for Thrash Metal with this awesome record. It’s heavy as hell with searing solos and artillery styled drumming, what more could you want? One of the best albums this year!
Favorite Tracks: ‘Henchman Ride’, ‘More Than Meets The Eye’, ‘The Evil Has Landed’, Killing Season.
All the momentum gained with Whitesnake Week was lost last week when my laptop died and went in for service. Of course there was always the home terminal in the music room but my ISP (Cox Communications) decided it was time to have a service outage. With barely any connection to the Net & email, I decided to take some time out and relax…..listening to CDs of course!
I’m looking to catch up on last week’s schedule right away…..
What I have planned for this week…..
I will also post any news that comes my way plus anything else that comes my way.
Pharaoh - Be Gone (2008, Cruz Del Sur)
Band Lineup:
Tim Aymar - Vocals
Matt Johnsen - Guitars
Chris Kerns - Bass
Chris Black - Drums
Total Time = 47:11
Pharaoh official website
Pharaoh MySpace page
Cruz Del Sur Music
U.S. Traditional Metal masters Pharaoh caught my ear back in 2006 with their second album, THE LONGEST NIGHT. What I discovered two years ago was that pure Traditional/Power Metal in the same vein as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden was being forged by this Philadelphia band. I was under the impression that Pharaoh was a European band because of their Italian label, Cruz Del Sur, and the ease in which they play this brand of Heavy Metal. With the Power Metal surge coming from overseas, I was more than surprised that Pharaoh was from the U.S. BE GONE is the band’s third record and could be their ticket to Metal’s upper echelon.
‘Speak To Me’ opens the album with a distinct Iron Maiden style riff moving into Primal Fear territory as the song progresses. Right away you notice Matt Johnsen’s masterful guitarwork that sounds like a twin axe attack and Tim Aymar’s (ex-Control Denied) attacking throat. The pulsating riffs of ‘Dark New Life’ recall Maiden again but there is a more sinsiter feel to the music kind of like another Maiden band disciple, Iced Earth. The solos feature a couple of guests from another U.S. Traditional/Power Metal band, Riot’s Marke Reale & Mike Flyntz. ‘No Remains’ is a galloping metal feast with superb drumming from Chris Black and a Aymar vocal that evokes power and emotion. Johnsen’s layered guitar carves it’s way through the song using different tones.
‘Red Honor’ continues the assault of hard and fast Metal, almost like old school Thrash. The song is marked by some incredible axe-slinging by Matt Johnsen, especially come the solo, and the distinct pain riddled shriek of Aymar. Things slow down a bit with the beginning of ‘Buried At Sea’ but the power and speed is still there, just a little more controlled and melodic. ‘Buried At Sea’ reminds me a little of Manowar but without the high pitch vocals. Things speed up again with ‘Rats And Rope’ with it’s Euro Metal main riff recalling Dragonforce, this is the fastest burner on the record.
The acoustic intro to ‘Cover Your Eyes And Pray’ hides a heavy mid-tempo groove with solid riffs and a consistent double bass pounding from the kit. The pace is considerably slower from the breakneck pace of ‘Rats And Rope’ but the song owes it’s deceiving speed to Johnsen’s fluid delivery and Black’s pounding drums. There’s some room to breathe here, room enough for the band to stretch a little. ‘Telepath’ covers more of speed riffery of the previous songs while the title track ends the album with a bit of Progressive flair.
Bottom Line:
Traditional Metal is alive and well in the U.S. and one of the bands forging ahead in this overlooked genre is Pharaoh. BE GONE is full of high powered riffs and precision drumming layered within a pumping bass and a vocal full of power and despair. The solos are fantastic and the production flawless. So what is the downside? Not much really, the only problem is that the band continually rams the songs down and doesn’t take time to explore different styles and paces. After the first four songs, you get the idea, but when the band does stretch out, it adds more variety to the album. For fans of Power and Progressive Metal. Favorite songs here: ‘Buried At Sea’, ‘Dark New Life’, ‘Speak To Me’, ‘Cover Your Eyes And Pray’.
Teach’em All - A High School Tribute To Metallica (2008, independent release)
The Singers:
(L-R Top) - Cassandra Markey, Nicholas Maurais, Dakoda Drouin, Jessica Scalabrini
(L-R Bottom) - Cassandra Goudreau, Maxime Riendeau, Bianka Fontaine, Jimmy Roy-Rodrigue, Nadia Goudreau
The Band:
David Bérubé - Bass (except #5), additional vocals
Ghislain Fecteau - Drums (except #5 & #6), additional vocals
Pascal Madore - Guitars
Special Guest Musicians:
Angelo Coppola - Drums (on #5 & #6)
John JD DeServio - Bass (on #5)
Producer: Patrice Beaudette (and additional vocals)
Total Time = 1:16:29
High School Tributes
High School Tributes MySpace page
Teacher/Producer Patrice Beaudette and his group of talented young men and women have come back again with another tribute album: TEACH’EM ALL - A HIGH SCHOOL TRIBUTE TO METALLICA. The concept is simple and unique: take talented high school students, put them in the studio, and have them play and sing cover versions of a particular band’s songs. It worked well for both KISS tributes (Christine Sixteen and Christine Sixteen 2) and now the kids have taken some of the recorded works of Metallica and put them to CD.
Now I know some of you are going to point out that my biggest pet peeve is cover songs and/or cover records. So why have I been a big supporter of the High School Tribute projects? Simple. For once, actually three times now, there is a unique approach to doing a tribute record. Who would have thought to take high school students and put them in the studio? A project of this kind shows a committment of a teacher to his students and the students to their teacher. With all the news about music programs being cut here in U.S. schools, it’s pretty cool to hear the result of hard work and dedication from these Canadian students.
Let’s take the concept aside and look at the music…..
First, I like the tracklisting. The first five Metallica albums are represented, nothing from LOAD, RELOAD, or St. ANGER, the only post-black album track being ‘I Disappear’ from the movie “Mission Impossible 2″. Nice to see the inclusion of ‘Am I Evil?’. I’m a big Diamond Head fan and it’s always good to hear that song…..it’s a cover of a cover! The musicianship on all of these songs is top notch, the band is tight and absolutely nail every song note for note. Listening to the opening ‘Master Of Puppets’, I found myself wondering who was playing: the kids or Metallica? It was the same way on the two KISS tributes, the band is tight and dead on to the originals. The vocals are solid, each vocalist bringing their own intepretation to the song while staying true to the original form. These young men and women are not professional Metal singers, they are students who are learning, and they are doing a fine job. As are all the students involved in the project…..they may not be be professionals (yet) but they are learning the craft and putting in a superb effort!
Bottom Line:
I rarely listen to Metallica anymore. They get tons of radio airplay in my area and it is very common to hear any/all of these songs at least once or twice every few days. Then a project like this comes along and provides a fresh outlook on the music and making me take a good listen once again.
In the grand tradition started by the Christine Sixteen Tributes to KISS, TEACH’EM ALL has once again exceeded expectations. I admit to preferring bands doing original material but I do enjoy a good tribute album, especially one that is done as well as these young people have done. Each and every individual involved has put every ounce of energy and talent into making a superb album. It makes me wonder just how many of these young adults will be the part of the next wave of musicians. If you are a fan of Metallica, or you have heard the previous two tribute records, then this is a must have. If you are a supporter of music programs in schools across the world, then it is essential that you check this CD out. The next great talents have assembled, hear what they can do. Favorite songs here: ‘Am I Evil?’, ‘Master Of Puppets’, ‘The Thing That Should Not Be’. Actually, I like all the songs, they are performed at the highest level with great enthusiasm.
Special thanks again to my friend Patrice Beaudette for including me in the liner notes and also posting a banner and link for Heavy Metal Addiction. When a project this special comes around, it is an honor to help spread the word. My congratulations to all the kids involved, another great project! I can’t wait for the next one…..
Only 600 copies were pressed, so this is a limited edition release. You can order a copy directly from High School Tributes.
I had fun doing Whitesnake Week last week. I thought I put up some decent reviews, and I’ve gotten more than a few emails regarding some of my choices, so at least I generated some discussion. I’m hoping to do another Band Week soon, not sure when, but it won’t take a year like this last time.
Taking a look back at April…..it was my best month for posting in the history of my site. I published 58 posts in April and I actually kept a consistent schedule! My previous high was 43 back in August ‘06 and I have averaged anywhere from 15 to 25 posts a month since. One of the reasons I started posting more was no more sportstalk radio. The local station changed formats a couple of months ago and I have been playing more CDs than being glued to sports call-in shows. Another helpful reason is that my work schedule changed slightly and I have an extra day off every week. A little more free time to listen to albums and write!
So what’s coming up?
I have a pile of CDs that is growing faster everyday. Some are new releases I bought recently, some are promos from bands & labels, and some are albums I picked up months ago that I haven’t given a proper listen. I need to catch up on the promos at least so the next two weeks are going to be very focused on album reviews. This week I am planning on posting reviews of the following:
I’m looking to post a review every day this week but I don’t know which one on which day. I also have a couple of quick posts ready to go:
I’m also trying to catch up on responding to everyone’s comments and I am in the middle of answering questions sent to me for an interview. This will be the first time anyone has interviewed me so I think it’s pretty cool and I’ll post the link when it’s online.
That’s all for now…..cheers!
My first exposure to Whitesnake was seeing a vinyl copy of LOVEHUNTER (1979) on display at Good Vibrations back in the early ’80s. Good Vibrations was my favorite record store and it was my weekly stop while my Mom did her food shopping at the super-sized supermarket in the same plaza. I was flipping through the vinyl and there it was!
I remember thinking to myself that I couldn’t get buy this and get it by my Mom but it was a discovery that I kept looking at every week. I’m not sure how long it was after my discovery but I finally heard a Whitesnake song on 94 WHJY, the local Rock station in Providence. It was ‘Slow An’ Easy’ and I remember listening to my boombox on the patio and cranking that sucker when I heard the DJ announce: “And here’s the new Whitesnake…..on HJY!” I was hooked!
All I could imagine was a bunch of long-haired guys in leather getting all the naked girls…..with big snakes all around them! I was a kid, what do you expect? I had a pretty good imagination! there was something about the song, something cool. At the time I couldn’t put my finger on it, now I know it was sex. Anyway, from then I saw the video on MTV and I knew what the band looked like. The next shopping trip, I picked up a cassette of SLIDE IT IN (1984). I got exposed to ‘Love Ain’t No Stranger’ & ‘Slide It In’ quick because they were on Side 1 of the tape. I used to listen to Side 1 of tapes until I knew every part by heart, then I would flip’em and do the same with Side 2. I wore that tape out.
So now I had a new band to listen to but new bands were coming out of the woodwork in ‘84 so i kind of put Whitesnake on hold until their new album. Three years later, the band explodes because of the WHITESNAKE (1987) album.
This is the record that propelled the band into U.S. superstardom and I, like the rest of my friends, ate it right up. I bought this tape right away just like everyone else did when ‘Still Of The Night’ blew across MTV but I tried to get my friends to check out SLIDE IT IN too. I remember they couldn’t have cared less and I got mad because here was my “secret” band being “discovered” by everyone but no one cared about the previous album. I still get that way with bands. I was about a dozen rows from the stage when Motley Crue came on the GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS tour with the ‘Snake opening in early ‘88. What a cool show that was! I still remember punching a friend in the arm when they played ‘Slide It In’ & ‘Slow An’ Easy’. Then I remember Coverdale introducing a song from “his Deep Purple days“…..he was in Deep Purple too? Not only did I have a mission to check out older Whitesnake records, now I had to hear Coverdale in Deep Purple!
From those formative years, I have remained a Whitesnake fan. I’ve collected almost all of the albums and I was lucky to have seen the band tour with the Scorpions and Dokken a few years ago. I still enjoy the mega-sellers from the ’80s but I like to take a trip back to the earlier records most of the time. Now we have GOOD TO BE BAD (2008) and the future is bright again for fans of the ‘Snake. A new record means a new tour. A new record & tour means success. Success means they will make more new records…..making this fan for the last 25 years very happy.
‘Lay Down Your Love’ is the first single and video off Whitesnake’s new album, GOOD TO BE BAD (2008)…..
‘Lay Down Your Love’
Whitesnake - Good To Be Bad (2008, SPV)
Live Bonus Disc:
Band Lineup:
David Coverdale - Vocals
Doug Aldrich - Guitars
Reb Beach - Guitars
Timothy Drury - Keyboards
Uriah Duffy - Bass
Chris Frazier - Drums
Produced by: David Coverdale, Doug Aldrich, Michael McIntyre
Total Time = 59:28 (1st disc), 42:25 (2nd disc)
Whitesnake official website
Whitesnake MySpace page
SPV USA
If you haven’t noticed, Whitesnake just released a new album, GOOD TO BE BAD. It’s hard not to notice with all the publicity on TV, radio, and the Internet for Whitesnake’s first proper studio albums in 11 years. For the last few years, David Coverdale and company have been touring the world and thrilling audiences with a supurb live show (I saw them with the Scorpions a few years ago) that was chronicled on the live album LIVE IN THE SHADOW OF THE BLUES (2006). Whitesnake fans were also given four new studio tracks on the live album but that was just a tease of things to come, now we have GOOD TO BE BAD. David Coverdale has employed some fine musicians for the new incarnation of Whitesnake: guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach are names synonymous with great talent and success while Timothy Drury, Uriah Duffy, and Chris Frazier add to the solid musician ship, making Team Whitesnake a sonic force once again.
Opening track ‘Best Years’ is a heavy mid-tempo rocker that recalls the blues laden style of past ‘Snake efforts. Aldrich and Beach immeadiately carve out their territory with dueling guitars and Drury laces the song with a subtle keyboard that enhances, not distracts. What is immeadiately noticeable is the bass and drums, Duffy and Frazier sound very heavy and provide solid muscle to the song. Over the whole album, the members of the rhythm section put on a tremendous effort. ‘Can You Hear The Wind Blow’ is another heavy mid-tempo Hard Rock song with a blazing main riff…..Aldrich completely shines and it’s no wonder he’s being credited with resurrecting Coverdale’s, and Ronnie James Dio’s, solo careers, this guy can flat out play! The only problem is that both songs are very similar except that the latter has a catchy chorus and hook leaning a bit more toward the SLIDE IT IN-era.
Speeding things up a bit is ‘Call On Me’ and David starts to use his higher vocal register. The song is still fat and heavy from the duelling guitars and has some great solos. I’m a little surprised this isn’t the opening song and lead single but I’ll bet it’s a song the band plays live. One thing Whitesnake has been well-known, and well-criticized, for is their ballads. Some of the biggest power ballads of the late ’80s were Whitesnake compositions: ‘Is This Love’ and ‘The Deeper The Love’ being chart toppers. ‘All I Want All I Need’ follows the grand tradition but sounds thicker, ballsier. Coverdale uses a low key, blues-tinged vocal then he did on his previous successes and soars a little higher only a few times, perhaps a sign of getting a bit older? ‘Good To Be’ is a stormer of a title track that reminds me of ‘Slow An’ Easy’. Of course it does! The lyrics “Sometimes it’s good to be bad, bad to the bone” is very similar and the basic premise is along the same lines, it’s almost like this song idea was recycled from 25 years ago.
‘All For Love’ is another candidate for a single and album opener with great guitars and a solid hook at the bridge. The twin axe attack of Aldrich and Beach really shines here as each trade solos within the song. Put this song on the ‘87 record or SLIP OF THE TONGUE (1989) and you have an instant hit! I’m a little surprised to hear another ballad so quickly but ‘Summer Rain’ is a really nice departure from the typical ‘Snake ballad. The acoustics are mixed perfectly with the electrics while the keys provide another layer of sound without being overbearing.. Coverdale is using his low drawl well but he sounds scratchy in some parts, that’s where the backing vocals help at the chorus. I’ve been trying to figure out what this song sounds like for weeks and I finally found the answer: this is a Cinderella song. Seriously, I’m not joking, I could hear Tom Keifer singing this and the overall tone sounds like something off HEARTBREAK STATION. Call me crazy…..
Best song on the album is the actual lead single, ‘Lay Down Your Love’. Want to hear the Whitesnake of the late ’80s? This is the song. David suddenly finds that higher register and sounds great throughout, especially in the chorus. Very similar to ‘Still Of The Night’ especially when the guitars cut out for the vocals and pick back up with the bridge. There’s even a slower pace in the middle of the song around the solo, just like ‘Still Of The Night’, that picks back up again. It’s not a complete copycat, I actually like this song better because it has more of a groove. ‘A Fool In Love’ is an old school blues number that draws comparisons to old ‘Snake, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin until the chorus comes in and sounds like we’ve heard it all before. I like the solos over the main blues riff and DC starts to hit those highs towards the end but something about this song screams “been there, done that”. ‘Got What You Need’ is a fun speedy rocker but the lyrics are a bit juvenile, not necessarily a bad thing but the clichés kill it. The solos are really good just like the rest of the album and the vocals are higher giving the casual fans what they expect to hear. Ending the album is ballad #3, ‘Til The End Of Time’. The song has this Western/Bon Jovi - ’Wanted Man’ vibe to it and it’s definitely a different style than I’m used to. The repeating lines of “I will love you” make me think of The Moody Blues’ ‘Nights In White Satin’ for some reason.
The second disc is a collection of live songs pulled from the last few tours and is a nice added bonus to the proper album. The highlight is the version of ‘Burn/Stormbringer’ for the fans of Coverdale’s days in Deep Purple. There is also a bonus video of ‘Ready To Rock’ attached as an extra bonus.
Bottom Line:
A rousing success! Whitesnake’s first album in over 11 years is a solid effort that can appeal to old school fans from the band’s early days and the MTV generation that grew up with the band’s mega-hits from ‘87-’90. Most of the songs have a Blues base from the late ’70s/early ’80s with a leaning toward that late ’80s bombast that made the band a household name. Not sure why we needed three ballads on the album but each one is a different style so that helps keep it all fresh. Musicianship is top notch of course with Aldrich and Beach leading the charge with their guitars. Coverdale sounds like he’s lost a little in his vocal range, those higher notes aren’t as easy to hit, but he uses that deep mid-range drawl to give the songs a bit more balls and groove. Favorite songs here: ‘Lay Down Your Love’, ‘Summer Rain’, ‘Can You Hear The Wind Blow’, and ‘Best Years’…..I like the whole album with only a couple of songs being a little spotty. Definitely one of my favorite albums of the year so far.
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